sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88 
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 12:17:35 GMT -5
Hi All - A local guy is selling this & asked me to make an offer. I have no idea about what a fair price would be for all. Here's what I know: working condition Commercial equiptment vibrating tumbler with flat laps and grit and many 1/2 gallon tubs 4 lap Star grinder 1/4 horse newer motor with extra laps My Questions are: 1) What's a fair price? 2) Assuming it's in working condition, is this decent equipment (I don't know the vibe brand/model)? 3) With the grinder, is that dry or do you add a drip system or water somehow? I appreciate all your feedback. Thanks. Sak...   |
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Apr 25, 2015 12:55:08 GMT -5
I just bought the same grinder a few weeks ago mounted, fairly clean and in working order for $50. I didn't do anything to it at all and I sold it on craigslist in less then a week for $150. The area you are in may determine the price too. When I listed my stuff last week they were the only lapidary listings within 200 miles of my house.  Chuck |
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 25, 2015 13:36:07 GMT -5
With the hood & pan, I'd buy the star arbor for $150.00 in a heart beat. Star was second only to the Poly arbors. The arbors are still out there. The hard parts to find are the hoods & pans.
Check that the shaft spins free, without any grinding noises. Start your offer at $50.00. You can always raise your offer $10.00 at a time until he accepts.
It's already set up for drip watering. The 2 grinding wheels look new, but you'll probably want to change out that split sanding wheel with an expando drum.
Can't advise on the tumblers.
If he has any extra pans & hoods, latch on to them. I'd be happy to buy them from you & pay for shipping.
Don
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Post by deb193redux on Apr 25, 2015 18:29:20 GMT -5
those pans are supposed to mount on the tumbler frame?
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 19:49:31 GMT -5
With the hood & pan, I'd buy the star arbor for $150.00 in a heart beat. Star was second only to the Poly arbors. The arbors are still out there. The hard parts to find are the hoods & pans. Check that the shaft spins free, without any grinding noises. Start your offer at $50.00. You can always raise your offer $10.00 at a time until he accepts. It's already set up for drip watering. The 2 grinding wheels look new, but you'll probably want to change out that split sanding wheel with an expando drum. Can't advise on the tumblers. If he has any extra pans & hoods, latch on to them. I'd be happy to buy them from you & pay for shipping. Don Hi Don - Thanks for your insights. I really don't now much about this star arbor. Given how you see it being set-up "as is" in the pic, what kind of results can I get with it. I imagine I should be able to rough shape stones with it but could I create a polished stone as it's currently set up now? Also, regarding the drip water system, do I need a pump? How does that all work? Thanks for all your input. I appreciate your help. Now I just need to figure out a price for the vibe stuff he's got. (The seller needs to unload both machines at the same time). Thanks. Sak... |
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 19:53:59 GMT -5
those pans are supposed to mount on the tumbler frame? Hi I'm thinking those pans sit on the vibe. So I guess you can choose to use the bowls or the pans. Of course, I don't know when you would need to use the pans vs bowls... I'm still trying to figure out what a good price would be for the vibe tumbler.... Thanks for your feedback. Sak... |
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 19:57:36 GMT -5
I just bought the same grinder a few weeks ago mounted, fairly clean and in working order for $50. I didn't do anything to it at all and I sold it on craigslist in less then a week for $150. The area you are in may determine the price too. When I listed my stuff last week they were the only lapidary listings within 200 miles of my house. Hi Chuck - Thanks for your feedback. Btw, do you happen to know how the drip system works on these things? Just wondering if I need a pump or simply a bucket of water etc.... Any thoughts would help. Also, any idea what brand that vibe is? Or what it should be worth? Thanks again. Sak... Chuck |
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 25, 2015 20:11:27 GMT -5
Hey Sak;
As it's set up now, you'll need a water container which hangs above the grinder. You'll need a tube to connect the container to the plumbing which is on top of the grinder.
You can do cabs from start to finish on one of those setups, but it means a little bit of fiddling around. You have the course & fine grinding wheels. Start with both wheels mounted on the arbor to rough & fine grind your cabs. Then remove one wheel and replace it with the aluminum split wheel. (Commonly known as a bump wheel). You'll need at least 4 different grits of sanding belts for that type of wheel. Start with 220 grit sanding belt, and at each stage of sanding you'll have to remove that belt and replace it with the next finer grit. You can also get a leather strip to use on the wheel for final polishing. Covington sells roles of the sanding belt in several grit sizes.
A better option would be to buy an expando drum to replace the split drum. Get a couple of each grit size sanding belts. It's much easier & quicker to change belts on an expando, than the belts on a split drum.
You can also get an aluminum flat disc which threads on one end of your arbor shaft, with a rubber pad and elk hide disc attached for polishing
Don
Almost forgot. I use a 2 gallon garden sprayer with the spray nozzle removed for a water tank. I just leave the pump on top loose for gravity feed, but if you need more water pressure, you could always pump up the sprayer.
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Post by deb193redux on Apr 25, 2015 20:31:05 GMT -5
you can try used prices for uv-18 vibes for comparison. i cant see from pic how the pans mount - make sure they do. if they do, then used raytech 10" vib lap for comparison
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 20:36:09 GMT -5
Hey Sak; As it's set up now, you'll need a water container which hangs above the grinder. You'll need a tube to connect the container to the plumbing which is on top of the grinder. You can do cabs from start to finish on one of those setups, but it means a little bit of fiddling around. You have the course & fine grinding wheels. Start with both wheels mounted on the arbor to rough & fine grind your cabs. Then remove one wheel and replace it with the aluminum split wheel. (Commonly known as a bump wheel). You'll need at least 4 different grits of sanding belts for that type of wheel. Start with 220 grit sanding belt, and at each stage of sanding you'll have to remove that belt and replace it with the next finer grit. You can also get a leather strip to use on the wheel for final polishing. Covington sells roles of the sanding belt in several grit sizes. A better option would be to buy an expando drum to replace the split drum. Get a couple of each grit size sanding belts. It's much easier & quicker to change belts on an expando, than the belts on a split drum. You can also get an aluminum flat disc which threads on one end of your arbor shaft, with a rubber pad and elk hide disc attached for polishing Don Almost forgot. I use a 2 gallon garden sprayer with the spray nozzle removed for a water tank. I just leave the pump on top loose for gravity feed, but if you need more water pressure, you could always pump up the sprayer. Hi Don - Thanks for all your advise.. This is really my 8 year old daughters hobby that I got into. Right now, all I've got is a home built heavy duty rotary tumbler... So, I'm just learning about all this other stuff... So, it seems the way to go, is to get the expando coupled with a few different belts... can you tell me what that should costs approximately? I'm just trying to figure out what all this stuff is going to cost up front.. Btw, I think the sprayer idea is a great idea.... Thanks again for helping.. Sak... |
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 25, 2015 20:41:45 GMT -5
Couple other things come to mind.
First, I'd offer $100.00 for everything and see what he says. I wouldn't go over $150.00 tops, as everything is going to need some serious cleaning before you can use it.
If you don't have any experience with this type of equipment, remember that the nut on the left end is a reverse thread. Don't know how many times I've seen people trying to remove a left end wheel while actually tightening the nut.
If you get everything, set the arbor up with the motor & belt. Take both wheels off. Turn on the motor and clean the shaft and threaded ends with a stiff wire brush. Go to an auto parts store and get a small bottle of anti seize compound. Put a thin coat of the compound on both ends of the shaft and threads. This will prevent everything from rusting solid.
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 20:49:51 GMT -5
Couple other things come to mind. First, I'd offer $100.00 for everything and see what he says. I wouldn't go over $150.00 tops, as everything is going to need some serious cleaning before you can use it. If you don't have any experience with this type of equipment, remember that the nut on the left end is a reverse thread. Don't know how many times I've seen people trying to remove a left end wheel while actually tightening the nut. If you get everything, set the arbor up with the motor & belt. Take both wheels off. Turn on the motor and clean the shaft and threaded ends with a stiff wire brush. Go to an auto parts store and get a small bottle of anti seize compound. Put a thin coat of the compound on both ends of the shaft and threads. This will prevent everything from rusting solid. Ok, I'll do that offer $100 for both machines. I don't know if he'll go for that...anyway, assuming I get it... What am I looking at in terms of costs for the expando & belts, etc... Thanks again. |
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 25, 2015 20:56:24 GMT -5
Your best bet would be to contact John www.jsgemslapidary.com He's one of our members, and will give you a great deal on what you need. I'd guess that for a good expando and a couple sets of belts, you'll be in for around $100.00 Don't buy the expandos that you'll see on ebay. They're cheaper, but they're Chinese junk that won't last very long. |
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 25, 2015 21:01:40 GMT -5
I just bought the same grinder a few weeks ago mounted, fairly clean and in working order for $50. I didn't do anything to it at all and I sold it on craigslist in less then a week for $150. The area you are in may determine the price too. When I listed my stuff last week they were the only lapidary listings within 200 miles of my house. Chuck Dang Chuck, if I'd known that was your arbor I was bidding on, I'd have gone higher on my top bid. Don't really need any more arbors. I already have 4- 8" and a 6" poly arbors. It's the hoods & pans that I need. |
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sak
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 88
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Post by sak on Apr 25, 2015 21:06:00 GMT -5
Your best bet would be to contact John www.jsgemslapidary.com He's one of our members, and will give you a great deal on what you need. I'd guess that for a good expando and a couple sets of belts, you'll be in for around $100.00 Don't buy the expandos that you'll see on ebay. They're cheaper, but they're Chinese junk that won't last very long. Thanks for the great advise. I'll definitely talk to John if it gets to that point. BTW - I just went on John's web site... Do you know if this star grinder takes 6" or 8" wheels? FYI - I just text the seller and he's asking $250 for everything. I haven't responded, but given that, I don't think he'll take $100. Maybe I'll just say $150 for all and see where it goes... |
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Apr 25, 2015 22:10:57 GMT -5
Dang Chuck, if I'd known that was your arbor I was bidding on, I'd have gone higher on my top bid. Don't really need any more arbors. I already have 4- 8" and a 6" poly arbors. It's the hoods & pans that I need. I sold mine on craigslist. I never had it on ebay. They are great arbors and sell quick. Chuck |
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Post by deb193redux on Apr 27, 2015 0:00:47 GMT -5
it looks 6", but the drum looks 3" wide, and that implies 8"
A full set of belts for expando can run several hundred - about $70 each
if the pans really do mount on tumbler base, then $100 for grinder and $100 for vibe tumbler lap is fair.
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Apr 30, 2015 16:13:51 GMT -5
Don't be scared by the $70 each for belts - that's for diamond. If you're not serious about the hobby yet, start with silicon carbide. Silicon carbide belts run about $1.50 each at santa fe jewelry supply online.
Lynn
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